The Hidden Wizard
by iColor With Crayons
Summary: Everyone knows the story of the Wizard of Oz. At least, they know the story that Dorothy was able to recall, upon her return to Kansas. As it turns out, there was a great deal of manipulation behind the scenes. Everyone, meet Corey, the hidden wizard. *New chapters will be posted at least every Wednesday* ****I LOVE REVIEWS****
1. Preface

**Preface**

Dorothy looked up, upon realizing that her house had finally been set down once again. The tornado had been rough with it, but the sturdy house, built by her uncles, had remained intact.

"Toto, are you all right?" She asked her little black dog quietly.

Toto wagged his tail in response.

She scooped him up, and strode towards the front door nervously.

Upon opening it, she realized that the tornado was no longer her biggest problem. She had absolutely no idea where she was. She had somehow stumbled upon a very vibrant, colorful world, like something dreamed up by a child before bedtime.

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," she whispered, looking around in awe.

The ground was bright yellow and red. The sky was a brighter shade of blue than she had ever seen. There was not a speck of dirt in her sight that could tarnish the colors that were displayed throughout the land.

"We must be over the rainbow!" She decided.

She had been raised on a farm in Kansas, with very little schooling. She was not equipped well enough with the knowledge of geography to understand that she was in an uncharted area.

What should have been a feeling of estrangement and terror was a bright smile on her slightly sunburned face.

She saw a bubble floating towards her, and backed away, still clutching Toto. The bubble quickly turned into a person – a lady, at that. She was dressed in a beautiful pink gown, with a crown on her head.

_Why, she must be a princess! _Dorothy thought.

"Now I…I know we're not in Kansas!" She stammered nervously.

There were no princesses that emerged from bubbles in Kansas, she had enough sense to know that much.

Following the princess were tiny little people, Munchkins. Thankfully, they simply walked over, chattering excitedly among themselves and pointing to Dorothy's house.

Dorothy followed their stares and points, and finally realized just what all of the fuss was about.

Sticking out from under the house were two legs. Human legs.

Her house had fallen on someone.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"She's dead, she's dead!"

Both the Wizard, and his son, Cornelius, more commonly referred to as Corey, looked up from their individual studies, wondering just what the messenger was hollering about now.

"Denslow, stop that insufferable screaming, you're already getting on my nerves." Corey snarled at the messenger, who blushed and looked at the ground.

The Wizard spared his son a disapproving glare before setting his eyes on Denslow.

"Who exactly is dead?"

"The Wicked Witch of the East! A little girl's house fell on her! She claims that her name is Dorothy. Would you like the guards to bring her here? I believe she is meeting with Glinda the Good as we speak," the messenger explained breathily, clearly out of air from shouting all throughout the castle.

Corey's ears pricked up immediately.

"Nessa is dead?" He questioned absently, speaking more to himself than anyone else in the room.

Both the Wizard and the messenger ignored Corey as he stood up and exited the room. It was not unlike him to excuse himself from company at inconsiderate times. He was ill-mannered in the worst way: he knew exactly how he should behave, and chose to behave the exact opposite of that expectation.

"Do not have the guards bring her to me. If she is meeting with Glinda, she will likely make her way to Emerald City on her own accord. Besides, Elph- I mean, the Wicked Witch of the West will not take kindly to this action. I do not want to put our guards in her path, until it is completely necessary." The Wizard responded.

Denslow nodded quickly before sprinting out of the room.

The Wizard sighed once he was alone in the room. Nessa Rose, the Wicked Witch of the East, had been making her subjects unhappy for a long time, now. He knew that it was just as well that she was deceased. He knew that the Wicked Witch of the West, or as he knew her, Elphaba, would not take kindly to the early demise of her difficult little sister.

The girls had had their differences. Sibling rivalry had been a reoccurring motif throughout their relationship. Their "father", Frexspar, had been fonder of Nessa, of course. She was beautiful, and unlike her older sister, her skin was not the color of rotten cabbage.

Everyone had liked Nessa better, initially, even Elphaba's friends. Nessa was a very attractive young lady, minus her missing arms, was well-spoken, articulate, charismatic, and devoutly religious. While Elphaba skulked in a corner, Nessa would be curled up on a couch with her peers, discussing her father's unionist missions, or simply current events she was aware of. Social interactions came easily to Nessa, allowing her peers to feel a sense of comfort around her. Meanwhile, Elphaba struggled to keep and maintain the small amount of friends that she had.

The entire personality of the youngest Thropp daughter shifted upon being named the Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland. Once Nessa had the power to rule over the Munchkinlanders, she did so with an iron grip. She denounced all religions that were not her own, and imposed strict laws on all of her subjects. This change in attitude resulted in her nickname; the Wicked Witch of the East.

Elphaba had done no better for herself. She was believed dead for a long while, which was the cause of Nessa's assent into power, while she attempted to resist the power that the Wizard, known to very few by his real name, Oscar Diggs, had somehow managed to attain.

Oscar had met her once or twice.

Strange girl. Her skin color stood out, even in the quirky land of Oz. Despite being ugly to the very core, she held her head high when confronted. She believed in the rights of Animals (talking animals), and fought to end Oscar's rule. Her rebellious nature was poisonous for everyone surrounding her: it had led to the death of her lover, Fiyero, her family, and had caused her to go into hiding a number of times. Exactly where she was at the moment was unknown, but one thing was for sure: she would be at Nessa's funeral.

* * *

Corey proceeded to his room, relieved that his father had not attempted to get information about the witches from him, as he so often tried to do.

They had all attended Shiz together.

Corey had been a year above Elphaba and Glinda, and two years above Nessa. Despite this, he had gotten to know the girls through a mutual friend, Avric. While in school, he did not see any reason to study them; they seemed genuinely ignorant and uninterested in the politics surrounding the Emerald City. His father did not seem to understand this, as he was constantly pressuring him for information on the most infamous of his friends, Elphaba.

"Nessa is dead," he repeated to himself, trying to get his mind around the concept.

The armless beauty's image was still fresh in his mind. Yes, she had been unbearable towards the end, but there was still some of the old Nessa remaining, buried deep down under all of the unionist ideas she had forced upon herself, in the attempt to rid herself of her "sins", Corey included, as well as the attempt to earn her father's love, over her frog-colored sister.

His mind wandered back to his old school days, lying lazily under trees in the courtyard with Nessa, barely listening to her as she complained about Elphaba doing something or the other out of jealousy. He would usually be playing with her hair as she whined, having to keep himself entertained as he waited for her to shut up.

Of course, her friends would usually show up, demanding her attention, and trying to attract his.

One of the most memorable of these friends, Elphaba aside, was Galinda, who, from what he had heard from his father, had now changed her name to Glinda, as everyone had always pronounced it, much to her annoyance.

Glinda was a very pretty girl, there was no denying that. However, her personality in her early years at Shiz made her borderline intolerable to Corey. She was superficial, and tried to find friends who were higher on the social ladder than she was, looking down on everyone in between.

She had always liked Corey. He was the Wizard's son. He was the most important student at Shiz. Like all of the other pretty girls from Gillikin, she had sought after him frequently, dressing up in her prettiest dresses, teasing her hair, and intentionally walking past him whenever he happened to be among who he referred to as the ladies of Shiz.

Now, Corey thought with a smile, now Glinda was really something. She had lost her snobby attitude, which had been very unattractive on her, and had gained a different perspective on the people of Oz. She spoke to Munchkinlanders like they were real people, and dragged her husband, that tired old man, to charity events, begging him to donate as much as they could afford to.

She was still beautiful – no one in Oz could deny that – she had just gained a personality to go with that physical appeal.

He had spent many nights next to Glinda before and after this personality change, and had to admit, while Glinda the Good was certainly more tolerable to speak to when they met at social gatherings, she was a lot less fun when he visited her home, usually when her husband was out of the area.

"You know, I'm married. You shouldn't be utilizing your powers for evil, Corey," she'd scold, tying her gown shut, "you should be trying to track down Elphie, or making laws alongside of your father,"

She never meant it, of course, but it was awfully tiring.

There was a light knock on the door, causing Corey to look up, forgetting about his old classmates momentarily.

"There is a letter for you," one of the chamber maids whispered, poking her head through the door.

Corey nodded, approaching the door and snatching the letter in the maid's outstretched hand.

As she walked down the hall, he opened the letter, returning to the desk he had been sitting at.

It was an invitation to Nessa's funeral.

The details were brief. The funeral would be held in her childhood home, out in Quadling Country. His lip curled as he read that particular detail, but continued on. The services would be held immediately, for fear of the body decomposing, giving Nessa a less than appealing look. He was invited to attend, but was not asked to RSVP. The sender was not known.

* * *

"Father," Corey addressed, walking into Oscar's study room.

He looked up tiredly.

"I'm going to the funeral for Nessa Rose, or as you seem to prefer to call her, the 'Wicked Witch of the East'. I presume you'll manage to uh… 'grant' the wishes that come your way in my absence?"

Corey smiled in a patronizing manner, knowing good and well that his father was not the great Wizard that the citizens of Oz still believed him to be. He had fooled them all with an illusion – the man behind the smoke was no more than a shriveled up old man, who was no more capable of magic than he was of flying.

Oscar scowled back before protesting.

"No, I will not have my son attending the funeral of one of the most hated leaders in Oz. Now that the last remaining Thropp is deceased, I will be able to take over Munchkinland. I don't want you reacquainting with your old classmates, and hearing about why that is a bad idea. Furthermore, that green witch will likely show up. She probably sent you the invitation." He growled.

Corey looked at Oscar dully, not concerned about his objections. He was going to go to the funeral, whether his father liked it, or not. He was an adult, and couldn't be pushed around by a tired old man.

"I doubt she did anything of the sort, she never did seem to care for me. I'll be packing this evening, and will likely take my dinner in my room. I will leave tomorrow morning. I'll speak to Knuck when I'm on my way out. Perhaps he'll be able to stall any meetings you may have with anyone requesting magic." He drawled.

Oscar shook his head, not accepting defeat, not yet.

"I was pig-headed and stubborn like you when I came to Oz, but I quickly learned. Theodora turned into a witch, identical to the one you're facing now. Do not underestimate the intentions of such a female. I understand that you cared for her sister,"

Corey snorted.

"However, this is a dangerous situation. You are being careless. As your father, and as the great Wizard of Oz, I must tell you that I do not believe you should go to this funeral. Just, send Winnie in your place." Oscar suggested, glancing over his shoulder.

Winnie was one of the younger members of the staff in the castle. His father, Finnley, the flying monkey, had accompanied Oscar on his mission to expel Theodora, the previous wicked witch, from Oz. Finnley knew that the "wizard" was a hoax, but stuck by his friend, pledging his undying devotion to him. His son followed in his footsteps, but was not quite as useful as his father had been. He was always dropping things, and the size ratio between his body and his wings was just awkward enough to throw him off-kilter whenever he tried to fly.

"I'm not interested in your opinions, neither as the wizard, nor as my father. I am going to that funeral, and that is final. Goodnight, father." Corey muttered, nodding his head towards Oscar before exiting the room.

Oscar sighed, hanging his head as Corey exited the room.

They both knew that he would be at the funeral, standing right alongside of the Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

After a long night of walking to the Emerald City alone, Dorothy finally saw the tall green castle, and smiled in relief. Now, she would get to return home to Auntie Em, and her farm. She would no longer be in this strange place, where the citizens believed that she had actually killed someone.

She knocked on the door, only to be greeted by a short man, popping his head out the slot in the door. He looked her up and down before shutting the slot.

She knocked again. She was thoroughly irritated that she was not receiving a proper welcome.

"What?" The man snapped, opening the slot again.

"Can I please speak to the Wizard?" She questioned, hoping that the Wizard wouldn't be quite as rude. She just wanted to go home; she sincerely hoped that wasn't too much to ask.

"Nobody sees the Wizard."

This was Knuck, following Corey's instructions.

In Dorothy's eyes, however, this was a short little man, being rude.

She knocked once again, after having the slot shut in her face once again.

Knuck looked exasperated as he opened the door.

"Nobody sees the Wizard." He reminded her.

"But I need to get home to Kansas," she whimpered.

"Are you Dorothy?"

She nodded.

Knuck turned around, and appeared to be having an argument, before the door swung open, revealing that the angry little munchkin was not alone. No, he was joined by an average sized man. A good looking man, too, Dorothy thought.

He was very tall, at least, compared to herself and Knuck. His hair was the color of copper, and was tousled just slightly. His bright green eyes surveyed her, like they could read her just like a book. The corner of his mouth was crooked upwards into a smile, but not a friendly 'how do you do' smile. This was a dark, forward smile that made her blush on the spot.

"You're Dorothy, are you? We've all heard a lot about you. I figured it was only a matter of time before you showed up. I expect you want to see my father, the Wizard of Oz?" The man suggested, shoving Knuck to the side with his foot as he allowed Dorothy to walk into the castle.

She looked around in awe.

Their home seemed much more like a marketplace, or a hotel. There were people roaming around all over the place, appearing to have even more places to go. Most of the people passing by stopped to look at Dorothy and the man curiously, which the man seemed to be ignoring without too much trouble.

"The Wizard is your father? Wow, that must be so…" Dorothy trailed off, feeling her face turn red.

She had never met a man younger than her uncles, and did not fully know how to speak to them. She was sixteen years old; still a child, but not too young to believe that this man was just like any other. No, for the first time, she was meeting someone that she found generally appealing. This exhilarated and terrified her as she stared up into his bright eyes, which were glancing over his shoulder at something.

"No, it's actually the very opposite, it's quite dull. Well, I suppose he'll want to see you immediately. Knuck, would you care to tell my father that Dorothy will be in the throne room waiting for him, whenever he's ready?" The man asked, looking down at the disgruntled munchkin.

Knuck walked away wordlessly, glowering at the man as he did so.

"Come along, I'll show you to where you need to go. So, Dorothy, where are you from?" The man asked conversationally, glancing around as they walked, clearly not paying much attention to the little girl at all.

"Kansas! Most people say they don't know where that is, so I suppose I shouldn't expect you to, either. Then again, you are the Wizard's son, so you must be very intelligent."

The man snorted.

"Yeah, my father is certainly intelligent, in his own way. I fall far from the tree in that regard," he muttered in amusement.

Dorothy looked at him curiously, her expectation of an explanation going unfulfilled.

"Here we are: the throne room. Think you can figure everything out from here?" The man questioned, already starting to back out of the room.

"Wait!" Dorothy cried.

The man raised a dark eyebrow at her, his face sporting an annoyed expression.

"What if…what if he really thinks that I tried to kill the woman? You know. The witch? I heard that she was quite wicked, but I would never kill a fly, really, I wouldn't. Do you think it would be so very much for me to ask you to stay with me, while your father speaks to me?" She asked, her brown eyes widening as the man continued to look at her dully, very uninterested in catering to the needs of a sniveling child.

Then again, this was the woman that had killed Nessa.

He couldn't believe that this little girl had led to the demise of the proud, head-strong girl he had known for so many years. She seemed relatively harmless; killing her would be very simple. He doubted that she would even feel comfortable protesting if he tried.

That wasn't his job, however. That was for his father to decide.

He rolled his eyes as the smoke began to billow, and his father's face appeared among the cloud. The effects were too cheesy, and he had a funeral to attend. Dorothy would just have to figure out how to get back to Kansas on her own; Oscar certainly was not going to be very much help.

* * *

Corey sighed as he sat on the train to Quadling Country. He could see the passerby's becoming more and more ragged as the train persevered. Quadling Country was not somewhere he would have preferred to have gone, but this was Nessa's funeral, it was the least he could do. Besides, he had some unfinished business with Elphaba and Glinda.

A few people approached him on the train, having heard rumors about the Wizard's son, which he lazily waved off. He wasn't concerned about his image when it came to the citizens of Oz. He was the Wizard's son, whether they liked it or not. If they wanted a change, they would have to get rid of their beloved Wizard first.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the train chugged to a stop.

Corey surveyed the area as he stepped off of the train. It was dirty. There was more dirt and mud caked onto the road than there was in Emerald City entirely. He would likely need to dispose of his clothes the second he returned into the city.

He grimaced slightly as he stepped on the street, but quickly regained his composure.

The funeral started in a matter of hours, and he did not intend to stay longer than he needed to. Quadling Country was not on the best terms with the Wizard's regime, as it currently stood; there had been non-consensual ruby mining for a while now, which was slowly deteriorating their already desolate land.

He walked down the street towards Nessa's childhood home. He knew exactly where he was going; she had shown him maps hundreds of times, when he would be lying on her bed, waiting for her to join him.

Elphaba was the first one to noticing him, and greeted him with a cold stare.

"Did your father send you down here to throw a house on me, as well?" She questioned, folding her thin arms against her chest as she glowered at him, her beady black eyes boring into his, as the corners of her bright red lips tugged down. She was clearly trying very hard to make an unpleasant face, letting Corey know that he was far from welcome.

"Of course not, I received an invitation to the funeral, and wanted a chance to say goodbye to an old friend. Can you really begrudge me for that, dear Elphie?" He questioned, knowing that Elphaba hated it when he used her old nickname.

"Yes," she muttered under her breath, following Corey as he sauntered towards the back of the house, where Nessa was to be buried.

"If you must know, my father is dealing with the girl whose house fell on your sister. She's a very unimpressive little girl; thin, pale, nothing memorable about her whatsoever. She's got this annoying little dog with her, too. I wasn't even sure pets were allowed in Emerald City."

"I'm pretty sure pets are the only animals allowed in Emerald City," Elphaba countered.

Corey chuckled, his eyes searching her face.

She hadn't changed one bit. She still had her face fixed with that surly expression, her clothes were still raggedy and unflattering, yet she had this untamed quality about her that was interesting, if nothing else. She was still arguing about the rights of Animals, despite the fact that it was her outspoken nature that had gotten her into trouble in the first place.

"We're not here to talk about politics, or just how my father has failed you today. So, who else can I expect to see today? Glinda, perhaps?" Corey questioned, glancing around the backyard, which was full of people lingering around, wearing black and staring at the ground.

All in all, it was a very boring social event. He hadn't quite thought about the kind of people that would attend a funeral for a devoutly religious ruler.

Elphaba's eyes narrowed as she turned to meet his eyes.

"What's your interest in Glinda? She's married, remember?" She growled.

Corey raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"As was Fiyero, but if I may, that little boy you were scolding prior to greeting me does look astonishingly similar to him. Shame he couldn't be here, to help you argue about the sanctity of marriage."

Elphaba's face instantly turned closer to a dark shade of blue as she began to shake with anger.

Fiyero had been murdered by the Wizard's secret police. There was no doubt in her mind. In the back of her mind, she knew that his death was largely her fault. She should have been more discrete about conducting her affairs. Blaming Corey and his father seemed a lot easier, though.

"How dare you," she snarled, taking a step closer to Corey.

Corey watched her with interest, knowing that no harm would befall him.

"Oh, don't give me that look, Elphie. You know I don't have any control over my father's resources, such as his, how shall we put it, his assistants? Fiyero's death was completely out of my hands."

Elphaba felt herself shaking with rage as she stared up at Corey.

He was so smug, so arrogant. The world revolved around Corey, as far as he knew. He had never been told "no" a day in his life and likely never would. He didn't perceive the concept of growing attached to someone, and losing them, like she had lost her beloved Fiyero.

And yet, with one direct look, she found herself calming down, no longer seething at Corey.

"Stop that," she murmured, trying her best to remember what it felt like to be mad at him.

Corey was very talented when it came to manipulating the emotions around him. It was something that Elphaba had desperately tried to learn herself, but was constantly told that something was a "gift", not something that could simply be learned. Corey, on the other hand, had this gift down perfectly, and was frequently taking advantage of it, causing others to bend to his will, just by receiving a glance from those emerald eyes.

Maybe it was because his mother was Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. Her powers were unmatched in the field; many girls, including their own friend, were named after her, because she had such talent, along with an incredible gift of making people feel comfortable and safe around her, no matter what. On the other hand, his gift fit in with his personality so well, he could very well have simply willed himself to be able to manipulate people the way he did.

Elphaba silently cursed whoever was responsible for Corey's frustrating, yet useful, gift as she felt the corners of her mouth forced into a smile, as she looked up at him.

* * *

Glinda sat in the train station, twisting her wand in between her fingers.

It wouldn't look very good if she attended the funeral of someone that the Munchkinlanders referred to as _wicked, e_specially when she claimed to be an advocator of the Munchkins. Still, going to Nessa's funeral would be the right thing to do.

She sighed, standing up then sitting down again.

Corey was invited. She had heard this through the grapevine. The Wizard's son had always been a weakness of hers. If he went to the funeral, and she assumed that he would, she would likely fall victim to his charm. She had already been so unfaithful to her poor, sweet husband when it came to Corey Diggs.

Then again, speaking to Corey could qualify as business. He would be able to tell her if the wizard had seen Dorothy, and just what the outcome had been. She owed it to the little girl from Kansas to follow up on her trip.

Besides, Elphaba would be at the funeral, and she had never been subtle about her distain for Corey. She would likely prevent Glinda from even looking in his direction for longer than a couple of seconds at a time.

Yes, she would go to the funeral, as a friend of Nessa's, and a protector of Dorothy.

* * *

As Corey stood in the dirty field among the funeral, he glanced around, scanning for any of his old schoolmates. He had been attracting politicians who had heard he would be attending the funeral, all of whom had been incredibly dull. One was currently talking his ear off about the potential use of Quadling Country, if they could only find something to do with those who currently inhabited it.

He noticed Avaric chatting with Elphaba. The two appeared to be in an argument, which wasn't surprising. Not one bit. Elphaba was always picking fights with whomever she was speaking to. It seemed that one of her favorite roles to play was the righteous victim.

Avaric was likely wrong, of course. He usually was.

Corey stopped watching the social interaction, upon noticing a familiar golden glow in his peripheral vision.

"You'll have to excuse me. I'm very uninterested, and have finally found something better to pursue. Good luck proposing a civil war to the board," he muttered to the man speaking, before walking off towards the glow.

He could hear the man scoffing behind him, but didn't spare him even a glance.

The politicians of Oz were blithering idiots, the whole lot of them. They believed that Oscar Diggs was the great Wizard, instead of a con-artist skilled with illusions. They believed that the selfish, deceitful plans he came up with, were in the best interest of moving Oz forward as a nation. They believed that they were relevant, and even important to the Wizard.

He snorted at his own thought.

They were all pawns.

"Glinda, you're looking beautiful as always," he commented, approaching the young woman, who gave him a wary look in response.

"Thank you Corey, you're as charming as always,"

He smiled slightly, his right eyebrow raising as he turned to look at her smugly.

"That's the goal."

"Now, I did come here to pay my respects to Nessa," Glinda lied, "but I would also like to inquire about Dorothy, the young girl I sent to see your father after the…" she coughed nervously, "the _incident. _Is she well? Has your father sent her back to Kansas?"

Corey looked at her in mild amusement.

Glinda thought she was more intelligent than she really was. She believed that the Wizard was real, as opposed to some old man, taking advantage of innocent minds. She believed that Corey's mother, as well as her namesake, had been the kindest, most talented, witch that had ever lived in Oz.

He could hardly blame her for being so ignorant. Most of the citizens of Oz believed this. It was partially his mother's reputation that had kept his father in power, through the turbulent times.

He knew better, though. While she had died during childbirth, he had collected enough information about her to know that she was just as human as he was. She had nearly been killed, due to her ignorance about Oscar. She had been cast off by the people of Oz for years, under the accusations that she killed her own father.

Corey quickly turned his attention back on Glinda, who was staring at him questioningly.

"She's in the palace, she's fine, as far as I know. I brought her to my father myself, but I doubt she's going to end up back in Kansas for a while. Don't worry so much, she's just a silly little girl. We'll get her settled eventually. She's just not a priority."

Glinda huffed, annoyed that the little girl, her pet project, was being taken so lightly.

The little girl had killed a witch all by herself, and was from another world. How could Corey not think that she was a priority? She was possibly the most dangerous creature in all of Oz! All other things aside, Dorothy was important to her; it wouldn't look very good on her if she sent the little girl to the wizard, only to have her blown off by every important figure in Emerald City. How could Corey not prioritize the little girl, if not for what she was worth, then for Glinda's sake? She _had _slept will him countless times, after all.

"Don't get so bent out of shape, I never said that we were going to let her stay forever, we're just more concerned about the possibility of an uprising here in Quadling Country, some of the rabid Animal activists," he nodded towards Elphaba, "and, of course, sorting out this whole mess, finding a new person to take over Munchkinland. Nessa was the last willing Eminent Thropp."

Glinda sighed, looking away from Corey.

He was right, of course, but it was unfair for him to be so impartial towards her. She had risked everything for him, and he was risking nothing for her in return.

Corey was perfectly aware of Glinda's silent temper tantrum occurring, but opted not to get involved. She was no longer the childish girl she had been at Shiz, she would not act on her anger. Therefore, it posed no immediate threat to her.

As Glinda was working up the nerve to insist that Corey personally take care of Dorothy, the unionist minister who would be performing the services stepped up, drawing everyone's silent attention.


	4. Chapter 3

_**As promised, a new chapter every Wednesday! If you're enjoying the story, please, leave reviews, favorite, and/or follow. If you're not enjoying the story, let me know why! Maybe it's something I can work on! **_

_**~ L.J.**_

**Chapter Three**

Back in the Emerald City, Dorothy had just been informed that in order to return back home to Kansas she would have to kill the Wicked Witch of the West. She had met her briefly – the green witch who had been infuriated about losing the Ruby slippers to her. She didn't seem very friendly, at all.

"Oh, Toto, how will we ever return to Kansas?" Dorothy sobbed.

The small dog rested its head on Dorothy's arm.

She had never killed anything in her entire life, well, not on _purpose, _anyway. Now she would have to show up at this woman's door, and attempt to kill her. Just how did one kill a witch, anyway? She couldn't simply create a house out of thin air, but she hadn't any magical talent, either.

Why couldn't the Wizard kill the witch himself, anyway? _He _was the wizard. She was just a girl trying to find her way back home.

She heard whistling and footsteps down the corridor, where she was sitting on the floor. She looked up quickly, hoping that it was not the same munckin who had been incredibly rude to her that morning. She was already upset. She did not need to be yelled at additionally.

To her relief, it was simply the Wizard's son, looking quite handsome in a black suit.

He looked down at her curiously as he approached her.

"Oh, hello again, you're the Wizard's son, right?" Dorothy asked, standing up quickly, smoothing her hair and dress as she did so.

Toto barked, slightly annoyed at having been tossed aside so quickly.

Dorothy paid little attention to Toto; the man might just be the key to her quest. He was the Wizard's son. He likely had magical powers as well. Perhaps he would be able to accompany her on her journey to kill the witch!

The man nodded slowly, surveying the entire corridor as she rushed to speak to him again.

"Well, I have just met with your father. Charming man, of course, very impressive," she rushed, hoping to butter up the man before asking such a commitment out of him. He seemed altogether unimpressed with her attempts, so she continued.

"And well, he asked me to _kill _someone. The very notion! Of course, he likely had a reason to do so, but I am not a bounty hunter, I just want to go home," her lips quivered as her voice broke, causing her to begin to sob once again.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," The man mumbled, still seeming uninterested.

Dorothy shook her head, bringing her hands up to her face as she sobbed.

He didn't seem to understand that she was absolutely useless. She could not kill someone, whether she wanted to, or not. She had no powers, no skills, and no strength. She had grown up on a farm, sure, but she was almost positive that killing a witch would be entirely different from wrestling with an angry pig.

"I'm sure I have a friend who could assist you on your journey. I will speak to him immediately. In the meantime, you may stay in one of the guest bedrooms. Excuse me." The man stated, pushing past the sobbing Dorothy to his own quarters.

She watched him leave, puzzled by his behavior.

She had not met a young man before, but she was almost positive that they should not behave like this, generally. The Wizard's son was distant, uncaring, and unimpressed, whenever she had spoken to him. Uncle Henry, who had been a young man once, was friendly, pleasant, and always cared.

_Maybe he doesn't like me. _She thought as she wandered out of the corridor, _maybe he thinks that I'm a killer, just like everybody else in this strange place._

* * *

Corey quickly wrote a letter to Avaric, letting him know the impositions Dorothy was causing by lingering around the castle. She would likely drive him insane with all of her whining and crying, accompanied by the yapping of her small dog.

Avaric liked quests, killing, and he liked young girls. He would likely agree to the mission immediately.

Corey played with the pen between his fingers. Dorothy was very small, and seemed very unimpressive. She did not seem equipped to kill anybody, at all. Perhaps she would die in the process. That would make everything easier for him; he would not have to get her back to Kansas, he would not have to worry about the citizens of Oz talking about the little "hero" that had seemingly come from out of thin air.

Then again, Glinda would be upset if she knew that Dorothy had died in the process of completing the Wizard's command. The blame would likely end up on Corey, as she had expected him to take care of her pet project.

Elphaba, on the other hand, would be pleased at the girl's death. She would ride off of the anger surrounding the death to protest the Wizard further, but overall, she would certainly be relieved that her sister's murderer had a similar fate.

Corey grinned at the thought of Elphaba.

_"I'm your half-sister, you know," Elphaba had told him as they were lying in bed together, their funeral clothes thrown every which way in the room. _

_ He had laughed at her attempt to shock and hurt him._

_ "No you're not. My father was just as intoxicated as your mother on the evening of their meeting. Do you really think he could perform under those circumstances? No, he had continued on his journey. I'm assuming your mother clung to that story, so she wouldn't have to admit that she was taken advantage of by an elf. Come on now, Elphie, why do you think your skin is so green?"_

_ He watched in amusement as Elphaba's eyes widened, her plan immediately backfiring._

_ Her entire life, she had believed that she was a product of the Wizard; something that would come in handy when she met the Wizard under unpleasant circumstances, something that had always allowed her to feel the she was on the same playing field as Corey._

_ "But, the Clock of the Time Dragon said the Wizard was my father!" She protested._

_ Corey laughed once more._

_ "It sounds to me like you'd prefer being the daughter of the great Wizard you so strongly protest. Or would you just prefer to be my dear sister?" _

_ Elphaba shied away from his bright eyes, feeling her skin burn at his touch._

_ "No, no, I just, I don't believe you." _

_ His eyes flicked up to her face._

_ "I'm not asking you to, I'm just informing you that you cannot shock me. I'm years ahead of you, in terms of collecting information on my father, and his past. There is something that I'm very curious to know, however,"_

_ "What's that?" Elphaba asked sulkily._

_ "What do you think about Queens, as a general rule?"_

Avaric responded to Corey's letter enthusiastically two days later, insisting that he accompany Dorothy in her mission to kill some unknown enemy of the Wizard's. He mentioned that he would like to bring an Animal that he knew along; a Lion, by the name of Jeffrey.

Corey invited him to the palace immediately, wanting to get Dorothy out of his hair.

She had been a horrendous guest; she was always following him around the palace when he was trying to get things done, asking silly questions about his past, his future, and his father. None of those subjects were particularly interesting to him, nor did he see them fit to discuss with a silly little girl.

Oscar had been lucky enough to hide throughout the duration of Dorothy's stay; allowing her to meet the man behind the curtain would ruin the illusion that the Wizard was real. Everyone was certain that the little girl was incapable of telling a lie. The last thing the palace needed was all of Oz finding out that their wizard was a hoax.

"Tell me more about your friend Avaric. Is he very brave?" She asked, skipping behind him as he walked towards the library, where he had been hoping to read up on overtaking land quietly.

He had been looking into the acquisition of Muchkinland ever since Nessa's death. After all, there was no heir to the Thropp position. Elphaba wanted nothing to do with her family, and Nessa had not reproduced. If he did not act fast, one of the Munchkins would likely assume the throne.

Once a Munchkin assumed power, overthrowing him would be complicated. It wouldn't be _difficult, _per se, but Oz would notice the Wizard taking power from a native of the land, just to rule a larger piece of land.

Dorothy constantly at his heels was making this research more challenging.

"He is very brave. He is bringing a Lion with him. You shall be very safe in your travels." Corey mumbled, pulling a few books off of the shelf in the library, hoping that Dorothy would take the hint that he did not want to be disturbed.

"He's bringing a lion? Wow! I've never seen a lion, except in story books. Is the lion his pet?"

"No, the Lion is an independent creature."

"Do you mean that your friend just has a Lion wander around with him?"

Corey sighed, rubbing his temples.

If he tried to explain the difference between animals and Animals, he would spend an hour discussing the talking Animals versus the average animals, like the ones she had in Kansas. Not to mention, she would begin speaking to every creature she encountered, offending animals and Animals alike.

"You'll understand when you meet him," _and when you're far away from me, as Avaric's problem, _he silently added, his eyes narrowing as Dorothy pulled a chair up to the table he had sat down at.

"Okay! This is so exciting! What are you reading about? Is it something that will help me with killing the witch?" Dorothy questioned, looking over Corey's shoulders at the book.

He froze immediately.

Had she just said that she was going to kill the _witch? _Nessa was dead, and Oscar had indicated that he approved of the mindless compliance that Glinda had to offer. Therefore, if he had told Dorothy to kill a witch, her future victim was likely Elphaba.

"The witch?" He questioned, returning his facial expression back to its stony state.

"Yes, the Wicked Witch of the West. The green one, I believe you know her. Your father says that she's been terrorizing Oz for years now, and he wants me to kill her. Didn't you know that?" She questioned, still trying to get a better look at the book in front of Corey.

He looked at her, as if trying to read her face for any signs of a lie.

It wouldn't be unlike Oscar Diggs to have an insider in the palace, especially a seemingly innocent and heroic one like Dorothy Gale of Kansas. He could very well have sent her in the palace to figure out Corey's relations with Elphaba. The death of Nessa could have been an inside job.

_You're being paranoid, _he scolded himself, as he watched the girl attempt to read the book, before losing interest and smiling back up at him widely.

She was too naïve, too silly to be anything other than what she appeared to be: a stupid little girl.

"I don't think it was ever specified. So you've met the witch before, have you? Quite the charmer, isn't she?" He questioned with a small smile, not wanting to disclose too much information about his relations with Elphaba, just in case.

"Oh, no, I do believe she is very wicked. Why, she was after Toto, too! Who would pick on a poor little dog, anyway?" Dorothy questioned, frowning down at her yappy little dog, who was now napping under the table.

Corey couldn't help but chuckle.

The idea of Elphaba actually hurting an animal - whether it spoke or not - was completely ridiculous. It was only humans that she truly had no compassion for.

Dorothy looked offended at his amusement, but relaxed a little when he gained control of his facial expression once again.

"Well, now that I know it's the Wicked Witch you're after, I feel a sense of obligation to go with you. If it were just your run-of-the-mill criminal, I would trust Avaric with assisting you alone. However, this woman is no run-of-the-mill criminal. This is serious business. You never know when a wizard will come in handy, when you're dealing with a witch." Corey said slowly, trying to make it seem like he was genuinely concerned for Dorothy's well-being.

Dorothy looked at him quickly, her eyes lighting up as a smile broke across her freckled face.

"You'll come? Really? Oh, thank you! This will be so exciting, going on a journey with a real wizard! I thought I was going to be safe before, but _now _I know that I will want for nothing. When shall we leave?" She asked, smiling widely at him, as he looked down at the book, his dark eyebrows furrowing over his emerald eyes.

Leaving with Dorothy would mean abandoning his goals to overtake Munchkinland. Surely, they would have one of their own in power by the time they made it to the Vinkus, where Elphaba resided. He still had to think about what he was going to do when they did reach the Vinkus; Nessa had already been killed by this little girl, he didn't want to contribute to the slaughter of another one of his schoolmates with this bloodthirsty foreigner.

If he didn't go, Elphaba would die one way or the other; Avaric would either comply, as a citizen of Oz, or they would fail, both dying in the process and Oscar would finish the job one way or the other. If he did go, he would lose Munchkinland at the expense of keeping Elphaba alive.

Oscar would likely overthrow any Munchkin they put into power, causing a civil war between Emerald City and Munchkinland. Once the other lands declared their alliance, likely to Munchkinland (especially in the case of Quadling Country), it could very well be the end of the Wizard's reign, especially when they would inevitably find out that he was a hoax.

Then again, if he did go on this quest, there was a chance that he could find Elphaba, and convince her to take over as the Eminent Thropp. The position was still rightly hers, and if she just took it, he could find a way to ease her out of power long enough to take Munchkinland for Emerald City.

"Corey?" Dorothy questioned quietly.

He looked at her, realizing that he had been strategizing the entire acquisition of Munchkinland while she was waiting on an answer from him.

"Oh, right. We'll leave immediately, following Avaric and the Lion's arrival."

* * *

A day later, Avaric arrived, with his friend, Jeffery the Lion.

Dorothy was ecstatic – the sooner she set out on the journey, the sooner she would be able to return to Kansas, and reunite with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry.

The quest would also give her more time with Corey, who she had grown particularly fond of. Yes, he was years older than her, but he was not married, and did not seem to have any potential wives hanging around the palace.

When he was in the palace, he was always so busy, so serious. He probably had to be, the Wizard seemed to be scarce around the palace. She hadn't seen him since he had told her to kill the Wicked Witch of the West.

She skipped alongside of him as they walked down the red brick road, away from Emerald City. He was discussing something with Jeffery the Lion – a lion who could _talk _– while Avaric spun his sword in circles easily, staring at the road ahead of them.

Finally, after what felt like hours of Corey and Jeffery discussing Animal rights, Avaric finally spoke up, on a subject that was not completely boring to Dorothy.

"Why are we walking, again? We could be in the Vinkus in two days' time if we took the train."

Corey shot him a dark look, quickly shutting him up.

"For starters, we're travelling with a girl who is now infamous for killing the Wicked Witch of the East. Do you want to assume the risk of travelling in public with one of the most controversial beings in Oz right now?" He responded, glancing at Dorothy before glowering at Avaric, who was staring at his shoes.

Dorothy's eyes widened.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to be such an imposition," she whispered.

"Don't be, it's only one of the reasons. We also want the element of surprise when we show up in the Vinkus. If the…erm…_witch _expects us, she'll take off in a few seconds time. She's somewhat of a flight risk," he added, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile, at a joke that no one else understood.

Avaric looked at Corey curiously, but said nothing.

They continued on in silence for a little while, before Dorothy decided to spark up a conversation with Corey, who was walking slightly ahead of the others.

She skipped ahead, Toto following at her heels.

"So, are you happy for a break from working so hard at the palace? It seemed like you were always so busy there. This must be better than reading all of your boring books," she chattered pleasantly, smiling up at him.

He looked at her, his face expressionless.

"I don't dislike my work at the palace. It's like playing a game of chess. As a matter of fact, this is just an extension of my duties to the palace; a pawn moving from its point of origin, to try and capture the Queen." He mused, starting to smile again.

Dorothy looked at him curiously.

"So you're saying that this is just the same as sitting in your library, reading a book?"

"No, I'm not saying that at all. The two aren't comparable, because they're both separate duties, compiling into one job position. I can't say whether or not this trip is enjoyable, as we've been walking for a matter of hours. I'll let you know right outside of the witch's door."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about what it would be like when we get there. Do you think Avaric and Jeffery will be able to manage? Or will you use magic against her? Oh, please don't tell me that I must do anything!" Dorothy whimpered, looking at Corey with wide brown eyes.

He stared back down at her, and softened slightly.

In the midst of her fear, she resembled a panicked dog, her eyes the size of saucers, her mouth hanging open, and her stance stiff and alert. While she was incredibly irritating, it was difficult to remain annoyed with someone so innocent and naïve.

They walked further in silence, until the sun was setting over Oz.

"Let's make camp for the evening, we have a lot of walking to do tomorrow, and we'll need to be well rested, in case this witch of ours gives us a run for our money. If I know one thing about that woman, I know that she won't make this easy on us."

Avaric and Jeffrey grumbled agreements as they searched the forest for a good place to settle.

They eventually found a good place to camp for the night, and sat down on the ground, passing the food that Dorothy had brought in her basket, along with the berries that Jeffrey had picked along the way.

They didn't speak much. All of them were wrapped up in their own thoughts.

Dorothy was staring at Corey, trying to understand just why her heart leaped up her throat whenever she attempted to speak to him. Corey was thinking about Elphaba, and just what he was going to do when they showed up at the doorstep. Avaric was thinking about the young girl from Gillikin that he had met prior to leaving on this journey and just what he might be doing in her company had he not left. Jeffrey was trying to think of ways to avoid being involved in the slaughter of the witch without being considered a coward.

Within an hour after eating, Avaric was sprawled out on the ground, snoring loudly.

"How are we ever going to sleep, with all that noise?" Jeffrey growled, glowering back at Avaric.

"I'm sure you'll manage. If you don't like the noise here, why don't you sleep somewhere else? It's a pretty big forest," Corey responded, shrugging, and returning to the book he had brought along on the journey.

Dorothy looked at him curiously before turning to the annoyed Lion.

"Here, I think I have some cotton balls in my dress pockets," she murmured, digging through her pockets.

"Cotton balls? We're not making clothes," Jeffrey grumbled.

"No, to put in your ears, of course," Dorothy replied simply, pulling a few cotton balls out of her right pocket, and shoving them in Jeffrey's ears swiftly, before he could even think about protesting.

His facial expression changed once he realized that he could no longer hear Avaric's snoring.

"I can't hear anything!" He roared loudly.

Dorothy smiled at him, and nodded.

"Thank you!" He yelled, clearly unable to perceive just how loud he was being.

He stretched before curling up on the ground, purring just like Dorothy's little cats back in Kansas. She smiled at him as she watched him drift off to sleep.

Corey watched the interaction carefully, but quickly returned to his book.

Dorothy curled up next to the Lion, holding Toto in her arms as she did so.

Corey sighed as the firelight dimmed.

He glanced at it, putting it out as he did so. There was no point in reading about land acquisition, anyway. The Munchkins had undoubtedly had elections today, and Oscar was too old to be useful in such a situation.

He glanced in the direction of the woods. Dorothy was lying in front of the Lion, and Avaric. If any wild creatures were to discover the group, Dorothy would likely be the first casualty, because of this exposure. She was too naïve about these things; now that she was such a controversial public figure, she would have to begin thinking strategically.

Well, he would have to teach her about that in the morning. In the meantime, it made the most sense of him to lie in the front of her. Every creature in Oz knew who he was, and he was a wizard. He was in no imminent danger.

He glanced back at the sleeping Dorothy and smiled slightly before turning around, and going to sleep himself.

* * *

Elphaba was walking the grounds in the morning, when she heard a familiar screech.

It was one of her flying Monkeys, likely returning to tell her news of Dorothy Gale.

Sure enough, the flying Monkey landed in front of her, bowing slightly, before speaking.

"It is about the little girl who has murdered your sister. She is traveling."

Elphaba looked at him curiously.

She had never heard of Kansas, and it seemed highly unlikely that a little girl would be able to roam the world looking for a place that nobody in Oz had heard of. It seemed downright silly, almost as if a death wish. The thought of Dorothy dying _was _appealing to Elphaba, until she remembered the ruby slippers.

Glinda had thoughtlessly given the stupid little girl Nessa's magical slippers that had allowed her to become more powerful than she naturally was. This was just typical of Glinda, thinking of her pet projects before thinking of her old friends. Ever since the Wizard had declared her the generation's Good Witch, she had certainly acted a lot different than she had, back when they were best friends.

"Is she travelling alone?" Elphaba immediately questioned hopefully.

If the girl was stupid enough to travel alone, taking the ruby slippers back would be no challenge at all. She was likely unaware of their hidden power; they were wasted on her, anyway. Elphaba might as well step in and claim what was rightly hers.

The Monkey shook his head.

"She is with a most unusual group. She is traveling with a Lion, a man, and the Wizard's son."

Elphaba's eyes grew wide. If Dorothy was traveling with Corey, there had to be some ulterior motive, some plan behind their movement. Corey was powerful enough to simply put Dorothy back in Kansas at his will. He also tended to avoid situations that involved extensive travel; he was too accustomed to the life of luxury.

"Did you hear why they are traveling?" She questioned.

"No. Would you like me to continue following them? They are resting for the evening."

Elphaba glanced out the window, before declining his offer.

"You need your rest, as do I. We will discover their plans tomorrow," She responded quietly.


	5. Chapter Four

**Here we are again folks, new chapter Wednesday. Any feedback you have to offer would be wonderful, whether it's a review, or simply a private message to me. I know the story has been moving a little slow at the beginning, but it's picking up, I promise! **

**~L.J.**

**Chapter Four**

Dorothy was the first to wake up, and rushed to gather berries around the forest. She wasn't quite sure which ones were edible, and which were not, but she figured that Corey would likely be able to explain the difference to her.

_He does seem to be warming up on this trip, _she thought with a smile, scooping up a pile of berries and plopping them in her basket, as Toto nipped at the plant.

She enjoyed the idea of Corey warming up to her. He was the first man she admired so strongly, despite his cold, careless demeanor. He was strikingly handsome, which had allowed her to forgive him for being rude so easily. If he would just learn to be kinder, she would surely marry him. If he were to ask her, of course.

_Oh, Dorothy, don't you think of such things! You have to go home to Auntie Em and Uncle Henry! _She scolded herself silently. For a moment or two, she tried to concentrate on simply picking berries, instead of the handsome wizard, whose face looked so peaceful when asleep…

_Perhaps he would like to come back to Kansas with me, _she supposed, chewing her upper lip as she continued to toss assorted berries into her basket.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice the trees start to move, the branches start to lower, the small, indented faces on the trees growing angry…

* * *

"Help!"

Corey sat up swiftly upon hearing this squeal.

After hearing Dorothy's incessant chatter for hours at a time, he knew exactly whose voice was currently screaming. The little girl had managed to get herself into trouble just an hour after daybreak.

Toto ran over to him, yapping loudly before running back into the thick of the forest.

Corey sighed, and ran his hand through his hair as Avaric and Jeffrey jumped up, looking around wildly for any signs of Dorothy.

She had likely gotten herself stuck in the trees. They were quite temperamental in the mornings, and Dorothy could be quite irritating. The combination seemed almost inevitable, given the fact that Dorothy had gone straight into the thick of the forest, where the trees were used to sleeping in.

"Don't worry about it, I'll go get her. She's probably just caught up by the trees. I can about imagine how she managed to deserve her fate." Corey said easily, waving at Avaric and Jeffery, who were looking at him anxiously.

Avaric relaxed slightly, while Jeffery continued to look between the thick of the forest, and Corey.

Corey walked slowly towards Dorothy's voice as she continued to wail, chuckling to himself. She was just making matters worse by making noise. The trees didn't intend to hurt her, or cause her to scare. They were simply trying to shut her up. He could sympathize with that.

"Calm down, they're not going to hurt you," he said calmly as he approached the tree that Dorothy had been captured by.

She continued to struggle and squeal.

"Use your powers, help me! Trees certainly don't do this in Kansas! Oh!"

Corey laughed, causing Dorothy to look down at him and scowl.

"You're lucky, if trees were the same in Kansas, you'd likely never get down. They didn't pick you up to torture you, Dorothy. They're just trying to get you to be quiet. They don't like being woken up so early. If you apologize and promise to leave, I'm sure they'll let you down. They're likely realizing you're more trouble than you're worth."

Dorothy continued to scowl.

"Apologize to a _tree_? Why, that's simply absurd!"

"See, now you're going to hurt its feelings."

"It doesn't have feelings, it's a tree!"

As if on cue, the tree held Dorothy a little tighter, and began to tilt her upside down.

Corey watched in amusement. He had seen his friends fall victim to the same test of pride. Now she would certainly have to apologize to the tree, it was offended, and intended to shake the apology out of her, if necessary. If she still didn't apologize, he would likely have to intervene. Intervening would cause trouble; the same citizens of Oz who were fighting for Animals rights were notorious tree-huggers. They would likely condemn Dorothy to death for her behavior, as it was.

"I don't have time for this. Either you apologize to the tree right now, or we're going to leave without you. I assure you, I have plenty on my plate as it is, I don't need this little quest. Removing it from my schedule would be a welcomed relief."

Dorothy sulked for a minute, before accepting defeat.

"I'm terribly sorry, tree. You see, I'm not from here. The trees where I'm from don't grab people. Will you please let me down? I must continue my journey." She pleaded, causing Corey's mouth to twitch into an amused smile.

He had expected to have to make her speak a meaningful apology, but she had done this all by herself. She was much more compliant than the others that he had worked with in the past.

The tree slowly set her down, returning to its original state.

Dorothy turned to look at Corey in amazement as Toto continued to bark.

"Have you been caught in one of those trees before?" She questioned.

Corey shook his head.

"No, though it wouldn't have been nearly as dramatic if I had. I grew up understanding all of the creatures and inhabitants of Oz. I know those trees do not like to be disturbed, unless it is the middle of the day, and even then, they can be dodgey, at best. Now, come along, Jeffrey was very concerned that I would simply leave you here."

"Were you really going to?" She questioned softly.

He looked back at her momentarily before shrugging and continuing on.

"If I needed to, I would have."

He didn't turn back to see her reaction. He didn't need to. He knew the annoying girl well enough to know that she was offended that he would even consider leaving her behind. Corey knew enough about women to be able to identify fairly quickly that Dorothy felt that he was obligated to her, much like her small, black dog.

She had not been surprised when he was the one who had showed up to rescue her. In fact, she had given him _attitude _throughout the entire process.

This little girl from Kansas was a lot more than he had bargained for.

* * *

"How much farther are we going to have to walk on this journey? I've got pebbles in my paws," Jeffrey whined as they continued walking down the red brick road, occasionally straying from the path to take a scenic or more direct route.

Corey shot him a dark look.

"We'll get there when we get there. You're not new to Oz. You know that the Vinkus is quite a trek to make. You should have brought shoes," He responded, taking his dark gaze off of Jeffrey, and returning it to the road.

"No stores make shoes big enough for Lions, anymore," Jeffrey said glumly.

"Aw, you poor thing," Dorothy whined, taking Jeffrey's front paw in her hands.

Corey and Avaric both rolled their eyes.

Jeffrey was turning out to be quite a coward. He whined every hour on the hour, looked to Dorothy for sympathy, and jumped every time he heard a noise. Dorothy was a regular warrior compared to him, and Toto, a vicious beast.

"We will find shoes for you at the first store we come across. If they don't have any for you, why, I'll make you shoes myself!" Dorothy assured him as they walked along together, smiling at him widely.

Jeffrey smiled back.

"You're going to make a Lion shoes? How do you propose doing that? Are you going to pull materials and tools out of thin air?" Avaric questioned, looking back at Dorothy and raising his eyebrows at her.

Dorothy frowned, her nose scrunching up as her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm from a farm in Kansas. Auntie Em has taught me everything I need to know about being resourceful! One time I even made a dress out of an old bed sheet, a piece of string I found on a bird's nest, and a pointy stick that worked as a needle!"

Avaric chortled, slowing his pace to match the speed of Dorothy and Jeffrey.

"I'll bet that dress wasn't quite as pretty as your others."

"It was a charming little dress. I still have it, back home."

"Well, maybe you can make me something. That way I'll have something to look at once you're gone." Avaric suggested with a crooked grin, his brown eyes fixated on Dorothy, whose eyes grew a sight wider.

She was not used to men being so direct towards her; especially not such _handsome _men. She would surely never fully recover from the shock of Avaric's forward comments, accompanied by his shameless smile, and dancing eyes.

"Leave her alone, Avaric, she's much too young for you, and I don't think she has the same..." he coughed, "_experience _that you might expect in your other prospective ladies. You're making her uncomfortable," Corey commented, not turning around to look at the group walking behind him.

Dorothy blushed, smiling at the ground. She was grateful that Corey had stepped in, and relieved her of Avaric's charm. However, the indifference behind his statement did make her heart sink a bit.

In all of the novels she had read back in Kansas, the man was supposed to be offended when another man spoke to a girl he loved, sometimes challenging him to a duel.

She giggled at the thought of Corey and Avaric dueling over her.

It was certainly an exciting idea.

Avaric looked at her curiously, before matching Corey's speed, to talk to him about battle strategies, and some woman named Elphaba that they both seemed to know. Dorothy figured she was likely one of the women that Avaric had charmed, back in Emerald City.

She looked at Jeffrey and smiled widely as a rush of excitement overtook her.

Maybe she wouldn't return to Kansas – perhaps she could start a new life in Oz – if she could simply find a way to let Auntie Em and Uncle Henry know that she was safe, and happy, she could happily live in Oz for the remainder of her existence. She would stay with Corey, of course, once he proposed to her. She would have tea with Jeffrey almost daily – she would miss him dearly if she saw him any less. Avaric would be given a medal for his valor and bravery throughout the quest, and would serve as her knight in shining armor whenever a threat presented itself.

"Oh, now I don't care if I ever go back to silly old Kansas!" She whispered to herself.

* * *

"Do you really think that we should kill Elphaba? I know that your father is the Wizard, and what he says goes, but she is our old friend from Shiz." Avaric asked Corey gently as they walked ahead of Dorothy and Jeffrey.

Corey glanced at him before focusing on the road ahead of them.

"You know, I could have you jailed for treason for saying that,"

Avaric gulped, his skin turning a pale color.

"I won't, but I feel obligated to tell you, you must watch what you say, especially around Emerald City, or one of its officials. You know that it's sort of a sensitive time in Oz right now, and with Nessa gone, my father has even more time to focus on Elphaba and those she associates herself with."

"Is that what happened to Fiyero?" Avaric questioned quietly.

Corey looked at him, surveying his facial expressions.

Fiyero and Avaric had been good friends, even after Shiz. Hearing the details of Fiyero's death would not do Avaric any justice; it could cause him to panic, and insist on having nothing to do with Elphaba, or it could cause him to realize just how corrupt and underhanded Oscar Diggs could be, and would tell the rest of Oz about the actions of the great Wizard.

"No, we're still trying to figure out how poor Fiyero met his fate. Nobody has found a body, or any witnesses, so there is still a chance that he may be alive. Perhaps he's hiding, just waiting until everything starts to settle down again. Goodness knows that I'd do the same thing if I could." Corey responded softly.

Avaric looked at the ground, puzzled.

Something didn't feel quite right about Corey's statement, but he felt this overwhelming sense of comfort suddenly. Corey wouldn't lie to him, they were friends. Besides, Corey and Fiyero had always been sort of close, he was probably right. Fiyero was likely just hiding somewhere. Perhaps Corey had even helped him find a place where he wouldn't be discovered.

"Yeah, you know, that's probably it. Thanks, Corey," Avaric breathed, starting to smile.

Corey nodded, hardly paying attention to Avaric, who had now started chattering about memories from their school days, when he and Fiyero would behave irrationally, in the hopes of getting attention from the young ladies.

Instead, he was thinking about Fiyero's fate. He had been out of the castle when his father had made the decision to send the secret police to murder Fiyero, but he had just returned when his lifeless, bloodied body was dragged through the doors.

It had been gruesome, and one of the most troubling things he had ever experienced. He was accustomed to taking advantage of people, and steering himself out of upsetting situations, manipulating their will to do so. This, however, was something that he could not manipulate. The damage had been done. His old friend was lying right in front of him, beaten to death by command.

"So, about Elphaba," Avaric started up again tentatively, after about an hour of reminiscing about the old days at Shiz.

Corey looked at him darkly, but he continued.

"Were you part of the decision to have her killed, or was it primarily your father? Do you think that you could actually do it? I'm not entirely sure that I can go through with it. I know that she's an enemy to the Wizard, and I'm not saying that I'll protest the Wizard's decision. I'm just saying that I don't know if I can be the one to do it."

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you. You accepted the job when you responded to my letter, confirming that you would be a part of the party. If it comes down to it, you'll do it." Corey responded coldly.

Avaric's eyes grew wider.

Corey ignored him as he tried to stammer out an explanation for being unable to murder Elphaba. Corey was completely uninterested in Avaric's morals and values. He had killed people before. This didn't have to be any different.

Of course, Corey didn't want Elphaba to die any more than Avaric wanted to kill her. He was still hoping to find an excuse to keep her alive, without having to disobey and betray his father, who would likely just as soon have him killed. He couldn't let Avaric know this, however. If he showed any signs of disagreeing with his father, Avaric would start questioning the Wizard as well. Once the citizens started questioning the Wizard, Oz would turn to chaos.

"Okay, so what about the girl? Why are we bringing her along, again?" Avaric questioned, glancing back at Dorothy, who was smiling from ear to ear as she placed flowers in Jeffrey's mane, braiding portions of it as she did so.

Corey shrugged, regulating his facial expression so Avaric wouldn't see him smiling at the scene.

"My father told her that she must kill the witch in order for her to return to Kansas. If she doesn't come along, she won't receive credit for it." He responded, looking straight ahead of him, hoping that Dorothy couldn't hear them.

She hadn't mentioned killing the witch in a while, and had been smiling for hours. If she remembered the purpose of the quest, she likely wouldn't have the same chipper attitude. Not to mention, Avaric wasn't exactly the most tactful man he had ever met. Avaric would likely blame Dorothy for the predicament they were all in.

"Why don't we just let _her _go, then? Why did you have to drag the rest of us in? Why are you even here?" Avaric questioned, his dark eyebrows furrowing as his muscles tensed.

Corey looked at him, willing him to calm down.

Avaric's muscled relaxed slightly, but he continued to clench his jaw.

"We both know that a little girl wouldn't have a chance against Elphaba. Once Elphaba killed Dorothy, my father would still want her dead. There would just be an unnecessary casualty on the list." Corey explained, glancing back at Dorothy quickly before looking at Avaric, hoping that his string of questions was almost over.

"Why did your father even ask her to kill Elphaba, instead of sending her to Kansas?"

Corey sighed. He had known that this question would come eventually. Everyone on the journey believed that Oscar Diggs was a great wizard, who had the capacity to perform tasks such as sending lost little girls back home in the blink of an eye.

The truthful answer to the question was that Oscar was hoping he wouldn't have to send Dorothy back to Kansas, because he had no idea how. He was counting on Dorothy dying in the process, so he could easily tell the citizens of Oz that she had died a martyr, fighting in the name of the Emerald City. Corey was perfectly aware that his father had no idea what to do if Dorothy returned back to Oz in one piece.

"He thinks that since she killed Nessa, she might as well try to kill Elphaba as well. Her image would make the citizens of Oz feel hope," he responded simply.

Avaric looked back at the girl, then at Corey.

"Do you really think that Oz would believe that girl is a killer? I wouldn't feel comforted at the thought of her serving as my protection." He grumbled.

"No, I wouldn't either, but there's something to be said for the superstitions of Ozians." Corey responded, smiling back at Dorothy.

She noticed, and smiled back uncertainly, brushing a wisp of hair that had fallen out of her braids out of her eyes.

No, Avaric was wrong. There was something about Dorothy Gale. Something about the freckle-filled grins she gave out so liberally. Something about those big brown eyes that stared back at him so eagerly. She was the very definition of hope.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Elphaba looked into the crystal ball that she had learned to use in Shiz. She didn't like the idea of spying on Corey; she wasn't sure what she was going to find, but she couldn't let him travel through Oz with the little girl unless she knew exactly why they were traveling together.

Their picture began to form. She could see Corey's tall, lean build, walking next to a man who was slightly shorter, but more muscular. Behind them were the girl, and a Lion, walking arm-in-arm.

"Avaric…?" She mumbled to herself quietly as the picture began to clarify.

Yes, it was her old schoolmate traveling with Corey, the girl, and the Lion. A most formidable group; she certainly wouldn't be able to take the ruby slippers when Dorothy was protected by such a group.

Then again, Corey couldn't oppose her taking the slippers that were so rightfully hers. She knew that he was a notorious womanizer, but her relationship with him was different. He teased her, he smiled. For goodness sake, he had talked about a Queen, surely that couldn't have been a conversational ploy. She had already slept with him. It wasn't some silly attempt to get her to sleep with him, was it?

She watched as Avaric and Corey spoke, and couldn't help but notice how Corey kept turning around to look at Dorothy, who was smiling at him shyly. Her heart sank as he smiled back. He _smiled. _Corey Diggs smiled at her like he was genuinely happy to see her. She had never seen him smile that way before.

Her heart thundered against her chest as she watched angrily.

She leaned in quickly, hoping to hear Corey telling Avaric something that would lead her to believe that he was not setting his sights on the little girl from Kansas.

_"I don't know, Corey, superstitions or not, she's just a girl," She heard Avaric state._

_ "Hey, she brought one witch down, didn't she? If she emerges a victor in another encounter with a witch, you have to admit, everyone in Oz will think that she has some kind of powers." Corey responded with a shrug._

_ "We're going to be doing all of the work, just so she can leave as a legend." Avaric grumbled._

_ "There are worse things in life." Corey reminded him._

Elphaba backed away from the crystal ball, gasping.

She knew that by "witch", Corey had meant her. He had never used the term to her face, but Elphaba was perfectly aware of what the rest of Oz was calling her. Of course, Glinda was a witch too, but she had managed to be a _good _witch, likely due to her unquestioning obedience. They certainly weren't after her.

She was having trouble believing that Corey was so willing to kill her, still. The Wizard, yes, the Wizard was a despicable, corrupt man, but Corey was something different. He could be cold, cunning, and snide, but he could also be funny, charming, and kind when he wanted to be. He had made her believe that he had genuine feelings for her after Nessa's funeral – surely he wouldn't do such a thing if he didn't care for her – Corey was a lot of things, but he certainly wasn't fake. Was he?

Well, the crystal ball didn't lie. He had spoken of killing a witch. That little girl from Kansas must have found a way to manipulate one of the great minds of the time, brought him to his knees, and demanded that he slay the second sister alongside of her.

The joke was on Dorothy Gale.

Elphaba would be ready. Oh yes, she would be very ready to face this little girl. She would take out the girl first then hope that the others would be relinquished from her spell. She didn't want to hurt her old friends, Avaric and Corey, nor did she want to hurt an Animal.

She called the flying Monkey to her side, and immediately began working on a plan.

* * *

That evening, when Avaric and Corey set up camp again, Dorothy moved closer to where Corey was sitting, in the hopes of getting even better acquainted with him.

He raised his eyebrows at her curiously as she did so, but did not protest.

"Tell me something about your father. It sounds just wonderful to be the son of someone so important. Is he very kind? Oh, I bet he taught you magic. Do you know very much magic?" She questioned eagerly, smiling at him widely.

Corey tried not to smile, without much luck.

For some reason, Dorothy Gale brought out a side of him that he had not yet been acquainted with. It was like the tables had turned, and suddenly, she was controlling his will power. She was making him enjoy her company, making him smile, making him hope. Nobody had been so manipulative towards him before.

"I'm not really interested in speaking about my father, but I suppose I can talk to you about magic." He replied slowly, still trying to regulate his facial features.

She looked at him curiously, but didn't push the subject.

"Okay, then tell me all about magic! Was it difficult to learn? How much do you know? Could you send me back to Kansas if you wanted to?" She questioned, leaning forward as her eyes dilated; she was giving Corey her full, undivided attention.

Corey looked at her curiously before answering.

"Magic isn't very hard. It was already sort of in my genes. I went to school for it, but didn't learn a whole lot. I just found a lot of people to practice on. I know mostly everything that there is to know, as far as I'm concerned, and yes, I suppose I could send you to Kansas. Eager to leave us, are you?" He questioned, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement.

The sooner Dorothy was out of Oz, the easier his life would be. She would no longer be manipulating his emotions and mental capacity, and she would no longer be a liability to him. He could resume his business as the heir to Oz, while she continued living the life of a naïve, simple farm-girl.

* * *

Dorothy mentally scolded herself as Corey continued talking about how he came to master magic.

Now he likely thought that she was eager to return to Kansas. He had asked her if she was eager to leave her newfound friends, which couldn't have been farther from the truth. She was still debating whether or not she really wanted to leave Oz. She believed that there was still hope for Corey proposing to her by the end of the adventure. After all, he had been smiling at her a lot, and he was now opening up to her about his magic. That had to be a good sign, right?

Even if Corey did not want to propose to her immediately (it made sense, really, he should wait until he was in power to declare his partner), Dorothy had other reasons for staying in Oz. To start with, everyone thought that she was something special, while back home, she was just another mouth to feed. Secondly, she had _friends _in Oz. In Kansas, she had Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, and the farm hands. None of them were appropriate friends for a little girl.

Dorothy quickly turned her interest back on Corey, before he noticed her zoning out. She wouldn't want to give him the impression that he was boring her; it was bad enough that he thought she was eager to leave Oz.

"So after a couple of years at Shiz, and a few more professors like Dr. Dillamond, I finally got out of it, and learned a few things along the way. How about you, what kind of schooling do you receive in Kansas?" He questioned, turning his bright gaze on Dorothy.

She blushed, looking down at the ground to avoid his green eyes.

"Oh, my education was not quite as impressive, to be sure. I went to the schoolhouse nearby until my parents were killed. Then I went to live with Auntie Em, and well, she lives so far away from any school houses, that she just taught me herself!" She explained, trying to remain pleasant.

Corey's facial expression softened.

"I'm sorry Dorothy. I guess I didn't realize that you'd lost your parents. What happened?" He questioned quietly, hoping that he wouldn't upset her by talking about it.

Avaric and Jeffrey had overheard the conversation, and had suddenly decided that the conversation was getting too personal for them. With a great deal of noise, they made it obvious that they were lying down, their backs facing Corey and Dorothy, so the two would have a bit of privacy.

Dorothy shrugged, as her cheeks reddened.

"They got into an automobile accident. Do you have those here?" She questioned.

Corey shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Oh, they're like carriages, except you don't need horses drawing them. Anyway, they're horrendously unsafe, and when my parents went to go visit some friends down the road, they collided with another automobile. There were no survivors. Auntie Em had to come take Toto and me back to the farm." She replied softly, looking at the ground thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry to hear that. My mother died right after I was born. I know it's difficult to get along without having that kind of guidance with you all of the time." He mumbled, not realizing just how exposed he was making himself.

Dorothy's brown eyes finally met his, as she sighed, giving him the same sympathetic look that he always received when people talked about his deceased mother. The only difference was, Dorothy seemed genuinely sympathetic.

"I'm so sorry, that must have been extremely difficult, to have never known your mother. Are you close with your father? You haven't talked about him very much." She wondered quietly, glancing over at Avaric and Jeffrey before returning her focus on him.

Corey hunched over, lowering his voice.

"Yeah, we don't get along so well. My father is a very…_eccentric _man. He likes things done his way, and we don't always see eye-to-eye in that regard. Everyone in Emerald City has told me that ever since my mother died, he's just been…well, different. I suppose she was the one element keeping him good and kind. Once she passed, so did his good nature."

"He did seem a bit cross when I spoke to him."

Corey chuckled, looking up at Dorothy.

"Don't take it personally. He speaks to everyone who asks for wishes that way. At least you don't have to worry about that for much longer."

"I'm sorry that you don't get along with your father very well."

"I'm sorry your parents are dead."

They both looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.

* * *

"Well, it's getting late, and we both have a big day ahead of us. Goodnight, Dorothy." Corey said immediately, standing up and brushing off his pants, looking around for a place to lie down.

Dorothy nodded, swallowing and jumping up.

They both made themselves comfortable; Dorothy lying against Jeffrey, with Toto curled up beside her. Corey was lying in front of Dorothy, in the same strategic position that he had been in the night before, just in case anyone did show up with ill-will towards her.

As he was lying on his back, staring at the stars, he felt his stomach sink.

How had Dorothy managed to get him to open up so much, despite knowing him for such a short period of time? He had never spoken to anyone as openly before, not even his own father. He was always guarded and calculated in his conversations, never betraying himself with something the other person could use against him. Yet, he had just handed Dorothy a loaded gun, trusting her to avoid using it during her stay in Oz.

He had spoken to her the way Glinda spoke to him. He had genuinely cared about the fact that her parents had died in some strange device in Kansas. He could feel his heart stutter when her big brown eyes were filled with tears at the memory of it. He didn't want to brush her off, or change the subject. He just wanted to let her talk. Likewise, he had talked to her about his mother and his feelings towards his father. He had never even _thought _about discussing any of that with _anyone. _Yet, without any prior thought, he had completely spoken his mind to that little girl from Kansas.

He was supposed to dislike her. He was supposed to be anxious to send her right back to the farm she had come from. She had thrown a wrench in that plan by scooting closer to him, pleading him for an intimate conversation. As if he needed any more complicated situations on the journey.


End file.
